Dart board with integral scoring means



g- 13, 1959 G. E. LEMON 2,900,188

DART BOARD WITH INTEGRAL SCORING MEANS Filed Sept. 17, 1956 A He. 3

-INVENTOR RGE E. LEMON ATTORNEY DART BOARD WITH INTEGRAL SCORING MEANSGeorge E. Lemon, Youngstown, Qhio Application September 17, 1956, SerialNo. 610,317

7 Claims. (Cl. 273-102) The present invention relates to a new and noveltarget structure for darts or the like and has as its primary object theprovision of a dart board with integral scoring means whereby the playeror players may keep an accurate visual record of the score in a game.

A further object of the invention is to provide scoring means for dartboards which facilitates quickness of scoring and allows the players todetermine the state of the game at any time by a casual glance at thedart board and scoring means associated therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dart board with integralscoring means wherein the scoring means not only records the score butalso retains replaceable and detachable target panels in properposition. It will be appreciated that the target portion of the dartboard becomes quite worn and damaged by the continuous impingement ofthe darts thereon and it has heretofore been proposed to providereplaceable target panels which may be replaced without discarding theentire dart board. The provision of the removable target panels alsoallows the dart board to be used for more than one game as one panel maybe marked with one type of game and other target panels with differentindicia representing other dart games. By utilizing the new and novelscoring means for securing the removable target panels it is possible toprovide a dart board of the utmost simplicity in construction andmanufacture. In this manner various springs or other like detent meansutilized in the prior art for retaining the target panels and having noutility other than retaining the panels are completely eliminated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide scoring means fordart boards or the like which is characterized by its versatility inbeing able to record the score of the players. By providing properscoring indicia and scoring blocks it is possible to record almost anytype of dart game with the scoring means of the present invention.

Yet a further object of the invention is toprovide an improved dartboard having integral scoring means which is characterized by itsextreme simplicity in construction and operation. As will be morereadily apparent, the scoring means of the present invention is easilyutilized by the players without special skills or experience.

These, as well as other objects and advantages of the invention, willbecome more readily apparent upon consideration of the followingdetailed specification and accompanying drawing wherein there isdescribed and shown certain illustrated embodiments of my invention. Itshould be understood that these embodiments are exemplary only in orderthat the invention may be more clearly understood.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dart board with integral scoringmeans constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the dart board shown in Figure 1; and 1United States Patent 2,900,188 Patented Aug. 18, 1959 Figure 3 is afront elevational view of another form of dart board embodying thescoring means of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to Figures 1 and 2 thereof,the reference numeral 10 designates a permanent body portion or backboard which may be suspended from any suitable support by a pair ofspaced eye-hooks 11 along the upper edge thereof. Secured to the frontface of the back board 10 near the bottom edge thereof is alongitudinally extending panel retaining member 12 which is of lesslength than the back board 10. The member 12 is downwardly beveled ornotched along its upper edge as at 13 to receive a replaceable targetpanel 14. The back board 10 and panel retaining member 12 may be formedfrom any suitable material, such as wood for example, which will retainits shape and these members may be decorated in any conventional mannerto provide a pleasing appearance as desired. The target panel 14 may bemarked with any desired permanent markings such as the bulls-eye 15, forexample, and is preferably constructed from material which is easilyimpregnated by darts or the like having relatively low momentum.

The eye-hooks 11 and the panel retaining member 12 of the dart boardserve also as guiding means for the improved scoring means of thepresent invention. A string or cord 16 is entrained through theeye-hooks 11, down the face of the back board 10 and below the panelretaining member 12 while the ends thereof are joined by a band ofelastic material 17. The arrangement is such that the string 16 isalways under tension thereby causing a plurality of scoring markers 1821to remain in any preset position, the use of which will be hereinaftermore fully explained. Each of the scoring markers comprises a smallblock of wood or other material having an aperture running the lengththereof so that it may be slidably moved along the string 16.

The target panel 14 is positioned on the back board 10 in the mannershown whereby the same is retained by the member 12 along its bottomedge and the string 16 and elastic band 17 along its upper edge. In thismanner the target panel 14 is restrained against any undue movement butyet is easily removed and replaced as is readily apparent.

In accordance with the teachings of the present in- Wention a pluralityof scoring indicia as at 22 and 23 are provided on the face of the backboard 10 on each side of the removable target panel 14. As shown, eachof these scoring indicia may comprise two vertical rows of numeralsarranged in side-by-side relation including the digits zero to ninearranged in ascending and descending sequence on both sides of thestring 16. Thus the vertically movable scoring markers 18 and 19straddle the two rows of numerals in each of the scoring indicia 22 and23.

The scoring markers 18 and 19 shown in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention are marked with the numerals zero, ten, twenty and thirty andwith small arrows pointing either up or down the face of the back board10. In this manner it is possible to record a total score of up tothirty-nine for any one player on the board. As an example, the scoringmarker 18 in Figure 1 of the drawing represents a score of two while thescoring marker 19 indicates a total of twelve. At the start of a gameeach player would place his marker at the bottom of the rows of numeralswith the scoring markers turned so that the zero and upwardly pointingarrow are visible. To score any number from one to nine the scoringmarker is moved upwardly to a position opposite the correspondnignumeral on the left row of numerals and for a score of ten the block ismoved opposite the zero and turned so that the ten and down arrow faceoutwardly. The total scores of eleven through nineteen are indicated bymoving the scoring marker downwardly to the position desired on theright hand row of numerals and adding ten as indicated on the scoringmarker. Other scores up to and including thirty-nine may be recorded ina like manner.

Also mounted on the outer face of the target panel retaining member lidis reference indicia 24 having two series of numerals from zero to threefor the scoring markers 2d and 21. This part of the scoring means forthe dart board may be utilized to indicate the total number of games wonby each of the two players. The marl ers 20- and 21 may also have thefaces thereof numbered from zero to three and utilized in the samemanner as the markers 18 and 19. Thus the player represented by themarker 20 has won five games while the player using the marker 21 isshown to have won one game in Figure l of the drawing.

It should be understood that the illustrated reference indicia are meantto be exemplary only since almost an infinite number of scoringarrangements could be utilized with the scoring means of the presentinvention. It is also contemplated that the rows of numerals comprisingthe various reference indicia and the numbers on the scoring markerswill be of different colors to facilitate recognition and manipulationof the scoring markers.

As hereinbefore indicated the string 16 is always under tension and thisprovides sufficient force to hold the scoring markers in any position,even if the dart board is suspended in the vertical position. However,the clastic band provides enough resilience so that the markers areeasily moved from one position to another.

In Figure 3 of the drawing there is shown a modified dart boardembodying the scoring means of the present invention. In this embodimentscoring indicia 25 and 2d are mounted on the removable target panel 27instead of the back board it The target panel 27 is retained in itsproper position by the member 12 and the vertically extending portionsof the string 1.6. This arrangement has the advantage that the scoringindicia are changed with each change of the target panel so that ascoring system adapted for any given game shown on the target panel isavailable.

It should thus be apparent that I have accomplished the objectsinitially set forth by providing a new and novel dart board withintegral scoring means. The scoring means itself is well adapted forsuch uses and serves the additional purpose of retaining the removabletarget panels. The score of a game of darts, or the like, is instantlydeterminable by the players since the scoring means is closely adjacentthe target area. In addition, the scoring means also provides a meansfor holding the removable and replaceable target panels in position.

It should be obvious that many changes may be made in the illustratedembodiments without departing from the invention. As an example, thestring and elastic band could be replaced by a piece of material whichis inherently elastic and the string might be entrained around the sideedges of the back board instead of down and across the forward facethereof. Reference should therefore be had to the following appendedclaims in determining the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral'scoring meanscomprising a back board, a target retaining member mounted on the faceof said back board near the bottom edge thereof, yieldable meansnormally under tension entrained below said retaining member and havinga pair of spaced and generally parallel portions extending generallyfrom said retaining member to the top portion of said back board, aplurality of scoring markers slidably mounted on said yieldable means, aremovable target panel, said yieldable means passing over said targetpanel and with said retaining member holding said target panel againstsaid back board, and reference indicia adjacent at least said spacedparallel portions of said yieldable means whereby said scoring markersmay be utilized to record the score of a game.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that targetstructure further comprises reference indicia on said retaining member,and additional scoring markers for use therewith.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 further characterized in that saidtarget retaining member comprises an elongated piece of materialfastened to said'back board, and the upper edge thereof being formed tonestingly receive the bottom edge of said removable target panel.

4. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral scoring meanscomprising a back board, a target retaining member mounted on said backboard near the bottom edge thereof, at least a pair of spaced verticallyextending and generally parallel scoring rails on said backboard, saidscoring rails being resilient and normally under tension, a removabletarget panel, said scoring rails passing over said target panel and withsaid retaining member holding said target panel in position scoringmeans slidable on said rails, and reference indicia adjacent said rails.

5. A target structure for thrown missiles having integral scoring meanscomprising a back board, a removable target panel, means for retainingsaid removable target panel in position on said back board, yieldablemeans under tension entrained on said back board, at least a portion ofsaid yieldable means forming scoring rails, scoring means slidablymounted on said yieldable means, reference indicia adjacent said scorinrails, and said yieldable means comprising at least a portion of saidmeans for retaining said removable target panel.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized in that said retainingmeans further comprises an elongated member mounted near the bottom ofsaid back board, and the top edge of said member being formed to receivethe bottom edge of said removable target panel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further characterized in that saidtarget structurecomprises spaced suspending means along the top of saidback board, and said yieldable means is entrained between saidsuspending means, across the face of said back board and below saidelongated member.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS378,242 Drude and St. Arnauld Feb. 21, 1888 764,648 Wehner July 12, 19042,075,134 Reimann Mar. 30, 1937 2,618,484 Bishop Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 285,507 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1952

